Putin, Trump Summit Ends without Ceasefire in Ukraine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a rare face-to-face summit in Alaska on Friday, their first since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, but the meeting ended without a concrete ceasefire agreement.
Putin described the talks as overdue, saying US-Russia relations had reached their lowest point since the Cold War. He stressed the need to shift from confrontation to dialogue, calling the war in Ukraine a “tragedy and a great pain” for Russia while insisting that Moscow’s security concerns must be addressed for any long-term peace.
Trump, standing in front of a backdrop reading “Pursuing Peace,” said the leaders had “made some headway” but added, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He later told Fox News he would hold off on imposing tariffs on China over Russian oil purchases, linking the pause to progress with Putin.
Putin said Russia was ready to ensure Ukraine’s security in coordination with the US, but warned Kiev and European capitals not to “disrupt the emerging progress” through provocations. He gave no sign of conceding Moscow’s demand that the “root causes” of the conflict be resolved before peace can be secured.
Trump suggested a meeting could soon be arranged between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though Putin did not mention such plans. Trump said potential land swaps and security guarantees were discussed, adding, “I think we’re pretty close to a deal … Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.”
Zelenskiy, who was not invited to Alaska, reiterated that Kiev would not hand over territory and called for a “just peace.” European allies had feared Trump might concede ground to Moscow by freezing the conflict and tacitly recognizing Russian control over occupied regions.
The summit unfolded as both sides launched drone strikes overnight. Russia said its air defenses destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, while Ukraine reported shooting down 61 of 85 drones fired by Russian forces.
Putin dismissed Western attempts to isolate him and hailed the meeting as a step toward restoring US-Russia relations. At the close of the summit, he told Trump with a smile, “Next time in Moscow.”
Trump, who campaigned on ending the Ukraine war within 24 hours, conceded the task was harder than expected but said further negotiations, possibly including Zelenskiy, could follow soon.
